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Hello, all:

I haven't seen mention of this anywhere other than an ad in SEED  
magazine.  http://www.slooh.com/  It is kind of incredible in theory,  
live images from a telescope on a mountain in the canary islands that  
you, the end user, can control from a web browser.  It is commercial,  
with a 100/yr fee, but they are offering a week trial.  I'm *so*  
there, and will report back.  In the mean time, I have posted their  
FAQ below.

  Again, I have no affiliation, etc.

Eric Siegel
Executive VP
    Programs and Planning
NY Hall of Science
47-01 111th Street
Queens, NY 11368
[log in to unmask]
718 699 0005 x 317
www.nyscience.org

"Most people will not get the chance to control Spirit, the robotic  
rover on the surface of Mars. But a new web venture offers armchair  
astronomers a consolation prize: the opportunity to control an  
earthbound telescope to view Mars and other heavenly objects."  - New  
York Times
  	

"Your computer screen will become an eyepiece, as distant galaxies,  
planets and other celestial objects are viewed live in color  
accompanied by audio segments providing history, mythology and other  
related information."  - Newsday

General Questions

Where does the term "SLOOH" come from?
  	When you move a telescope from one object to another, you are  
slewing the scope. We changed the spelling because we put the "ooh!!"  
in slew.
What is a SLOOH mission?
  	A SLOOH membership buys access to live space missions, broadcast  
in real time to your computer from our telescopes in the Canary  
Islands. Most missions are five to ten minutes in length. Using  
LightMachine™, SLOOH's patent-pending instant imaging technology,  
each mission presents a live view of that mission's designated space  
object. This view improves in quality during the mission as our  
telescopes gather more light. Our observatory aims multiple different  
telescopes at the subject, which allows you to zoom from a huge  
expanse of sky all the way to a close up view. Through our user  
interface, you can capture photographs during the mission and save  
them in your mission log book. During the mission, our SLOOH Audio  
narrators will illuminate the history, mythology and context of the  
mission target.
What objects will I see on the missions?
  	Our goal is to show you the best and brightest of outer space, at  
the specific times that are the most ideal to view any particular  
object. For example, Mars passes close to Earth about every 26 months  
and when it does our editors emphasize missions to Mars. Every night  
we visit popular objects like the Moon, Saturn, Mars, and Jupiter, as  
well as the most beautiful galaxies, nebulae and globular clusters,  
including the Orion Nebula, the Andromeda Galaxy, the Crab Nebula,  
the Whirlpool Galaxy, the Pleiades and the Hercules cluster - to name  
just a few.
I Want to Capture SLOOH Missions. Can I Take Pictures?
  	SLOOH members have captured hundreds of thousands of images of  
spectacular space objects, and many are available for viewing in the  
SLOOH Member Gallery. On our mission interface, there is a Camera  
button that allows you to capture up to three images per mission.  
These images show up in your Mission Log once the event is complete.  
You can then print your photos, download them to your desktop or a  
storage device, or add them to the Member Gallery. The SLOOH Camera  
device also records the date, time and observing conditions for your  
photo.
How do you decide where to point the telescope during a mission on  
the SLOOH Editor channel?
  	The SLOOH Editor channel targets the most popular, brightest space  
objects available in tonight's sky; we design and program a best-in- 
show mission schedule, and members can always head to the Editor  
Channel to find live programming that will boggle the collective  
mind. During the SLOOH Member Channel missions, the destinations are  
determined by SLOOH members; sign up, select the space object you  
have in mind or enter the celestial coordinates, and when your  
scheduled mission time arrives, lead the SLOOH community on your own  
deep space journey!
How often does the telescope SLOOH to a new object?
  	Normally, we will SLOOH the telescope every 5 or 10 minutes,  
depending on the object we are looking at. The telescope takes longer  
to collect light from deep space objects such as galaxies or nebulae  
than it does for objects in our own solar system such as Saturn or  
the Moon. In general, objects very far from Earth, or objects that  
are not comparatively bright, require a longer mission. During every  
mission, you'll watch the object become clearer and clearer before  
your eyes as the telescope collects more light.
What is a SLOOH Alert?
  	A SLOOH Alert is a highlight mission designed for members who are  
not daily visitors but who want to catch a great mission every few  
days. SLOOH Alerts offer a rock star destination and an expert audio  
accompaniment, and arrive via the nifty SLOOH Alert Mechanism, a task  
bar tool that subtly lets you know when a SLOOH Alert is on the  
horizon. Download the SLOOH Alert tool and we will notify you about  
upcoming, best-of-breed, hosted missions. When you get to the Launch  
Pad, check out the SLOOH Classic channel to view some past SLOOH  
Alert Missions and see us at our best.

Membership Questions
How much time on the telescope do I get for my SLOOH membership?
  	Commander Level members get unlimited access to the three SLOOH  
channels (Editor channel, Member channel, Classic channel) as well as  
priority access to commanding their own missions on the Member  
channel. Explorer Level members receive 200 SLOOH Credits, enough to  
witness most of the SLOOH Alert missions offered over the course of a  
year-long membership. Observer Level members get enough SLOOH Credits  
to partake in a few missions (we recommend following a SLOOH Alert)  
and get a feel for what we have to offer.
What is the appropriate age group for SLOOH?
  	The SLOOH experience has been designed to introduce people of all  
ages to astronomy. While rookie stargazers are sure to be awed by  
their first rock star SLOOH Alert mission, we expect even the most  
advanced users to appreciate being able to easily access a live view  
through a powerful telescope situated at a renowned professional  
observatory. Once we capture your imagination, we'll continue to add  
new and advanced features to hold your burgeoning interest. SLOOH is  
an active community, full of self-starters of every age, so once you  
have made yourself familiar with the site, please join our forums to  
tell us about features you'd like to see as we continue to refine the  
site.
  Astronomy
What is the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands?
Formed in 1979, it is a consortium of European governments under the  
authority of Spain, and is the leading professional observatory in  
Europe. There is astronomical equipment belonging to over 60 academic  
and government institutions from 19 countries on two mountain peaks  
in the Canary Islands, including one of the largest telescopes in the  
world, the 10.4 meter Gran Telescopio Canarias.

What equipment is housed in the observatory?
  	SLOOH's observatories high upon Mount Teide in the Canary Islands  
are far more powerful than a backyard telescope, and SLOOH members  
can access them from anywhere in the world. Each observatory is  
enclosed in a motorized dome and has a motorized equatorial mount. On  
each mount is a catadioptric telescope, which has a focuser, a filter  
wheel and a CCD camera. Next to the catadioptric is a refractor  
telescope with a focuser, a filter wheel and a CCD camera, which we  
use for wide field imaging. Several computers housed within the domes  
control the equipment and maintain a telecommunications connection to  
our web site. Outside the domes is another CCD camera with an all-sky  
lens.
What Telescopes Does SLOOH Use?
  	SLOOH has five telescopes in service right now: * A 14-inch  
diameter Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope, with a 3910mm focal length* An  
85mm diameter APO refractor telescope, with a 480mm focal length* A  
second 14-inch SCT, with a 2100mm focal lengt * A 34mm diameter  
refractor, with a 135mm focal length * A monochrome all-sky camera  
with a fisheye field of view of 175 degrees



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